


Diagonal Reality

by Compromised_Coffee_Filter



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Adventure, Arguing, Cuddling, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, My First Fanfic, Other, Platonic OT5, Platonic Relationships, Please Kill Me, Survival, What am I doing with my life?, other world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2019-10-12 18:25:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17472674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Compromised_Coffee_Filter/pseuds/Compromised_Coffee_Filter
Summary: The Karasuno First-Years have never really gotten along well. Each one thought they would die before they got on good terms with one another.One early summer afternoon they eat something questionable. They collapse, and enter a whole new reality. They quickly realise that they must work together to get back home, or chose to stay in this fake world forever.Or: How the Karasuno first-years became inseparable





	1. Study Session Goes Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> OOOOOKKKAY. So this is something I just barfed all over my page because I have a maths exam in two days. In all honesty I have nowhere else to put this so boom! Here we go.
> 
> This first chapter is the boring one! Yay! Because every first-time fanfic needs a shitty intro. Not sure if the rest is gonna be much better though, I have as much chance of being a good writer as I have chance of actually passing my maths exam.
> 
> But enough about that! I'm just rambling about things nobody cares about at this point.

Studying for exams was never high on Hinata's hobby list. Despite his resentment towards the idea, he had to admit he was a bit of an idiot, especially school-wise. He had never gotten into any of the good classes, and scored low marks on each of his tests. It was disappointing, but he had to give the credit for his barely-passed tests to Tsukishima, Yamaguchi and, perhaps mostly of all, Yachi. Those three had helped him (reluctantly in Tsukishima's case) not completely fail school, and he was grateful for them beyond anything he could say.

Kageyama was less co-operative. He kept grumbling under his breath every time Tsukishima barked at him for being an idiot while Hinata just got his head down and did as he was told. He realised that being hostile wouldn't help, and Kageyama demonstrated that perfectly.

They were spending their lunch-break in the clubroom, all five of the first-years. It could be counted as one of the first times they all properly hung out together. They had spent time together in here before, but that was with supervision from the third-years incase any of them ripped another apart. Yamaguchi was off doing his homework with his cheek propped up on his fist, while Yachi worked with Hinata and Tsukishima helped Kageyama.

Outside the scorching heat had come early, the late spring almost turning into summer. It only added pressure as Hinata tried to memorise the patterns Yachi drew on the paper- maths was never his favourite either. If he wanted to go to the away games in Tokyo, he had to pass these exams. He just hoped his useless brain wouldn't wander off to somewhere he didn't want it to go.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Tsukishima broke the nice quietness, the other three looking up from their work. "No wonder your vocabulary is so limited."

"Shut up," Kageyama barked back. "You're supposed to be _helping_ me for crying out loud!"

"Oookay-" Yamaguchi broke the two off, sensing his cue to step in and interfere before the two clashing personalities tore each other's throats out. "We need to take a little break."

Yamaguchi was probably the most reasonable one out of all of them- Hinata was already planning on putting his vote to push the pinch-server to be the captain when they all reached third-year. On top of that, Yamaguchi got along with everyone.  
Kageyama threw his head back and gave a low groan. "Thank God. Any longer and I may have had to kill myself."

"Don't say that," Yachi pointed out quietly. She rose from her seat to stretch. "It's only a ten-minute break, then we'll get back to working."

Hinata took this time to grab one of Tanaka's volleyball magazines, ones that Tanaka always left behind, and buried his nose inside. It was one of the few things he willingly read, no matter how much Yachi insisted that reading books was fun. Hinata had no idea how staring at a tree-corpse for hours and hallucinating was fun, but he decided to take Yachi's word for it.

He could barely read the first sentence on the 'Inter-high Prelims exclusive article' page before his head raised again at the ruckus.

"Why are you looking for food?" Tsukishima sneered at the raven-hair. "This is a clubroom, I doubt there's any food here."

"Calm down," Yamaguchi sighed again.

Kageyama barely noticed, and continued to growl at the tallest of the five, who had that same shit-eating grin as the first time he'd met him. And Hinata hated that sort of grin, not just on Tsukishima. He was hit with the sudden urge to prove him wrong.

"Nishinoya-san said there's an old stash of sweets in the locker nobody every uses," he piped up, looking back to the magazine. "He said the toffees are really good."

"Good. I'm hungry."

Tsukishima still didn't let go. "Didn't you just eat?"

Kageyama huffed and headed to the locker which nobody ever used. It was always unlocked, and the keys were misplaced somewhere- the third years said that it was like that even before they came to Karasuno. It creaked open. "I'm not hungry in- there they are!" He took out a crumply plastic bag from the locker nobody ever used. "I'm not hungry in that sort of sense. I just want to eat something."

Yachi titled her head to the side while Yamaguchi raised a single eyebrow. "Isn't that the same thing?" they chorused in confusion.

Though Kageyama just shrugged. He ripped open the bag, and popped a single toffee in his mouth. He outstretched his arm towards the others. "Want one?"

"Chuck the whole bag over," Hinata grumbled, leaning back on his chair the furthest it could go.

Hinata helped himself to the toffees, so did Yamaguchi and Yachi. Tsukishima said he didn't want any, but after Yamaguchi insisted that they were really nice, he eventually tried some.

And they were. They were so tooth-rottingly sweet that Hinata's teeth felt fuzzy after he got them unstuck with his tongue. After he ate about five, he finally had enough.

Their little break had ended, and Hinata was once again stuck solving maths problems, this time with Tsukishima so he and Kageyama didn't completely rip each other apart. He liked to think that the tall blonde preferred him over Kageyama, but Tsukishima's personality was one of life's great mysteries. But he liked to think he was at least being easier to work with.

That really must be the case- Tsukishima wasn't yelling at him, instead coaching him calmly through the difficult maths problem. Hinata couldn't believe he was having a conversation with the middle blocker without him muttering a single barbed jibe.

Blissfully happy that he was understanding everything, Hinata calmed down from his nervous thoughts about passing exams and focused on writing down whatever Tsukishima told him to.

Finally the the atmosphere seemed calm, and soon the entire clubroom had gone quiet. Too quiet.

Suddenly Kageyama tore himself away from his work, his chair clattering on the floor. Hinata asked what was wrong, but Kageyama didn't reply. He held his own head before he collapsed on the floor.

"Kageyama!?" Hinata threw himself up to his feet. His head suddenly spun wildly out of control, his vision blurring.

Panic flared in his chest, and he made to tell the others that something was very wrong, but he realised that Yachi had fallen back on her chair, her eyes closed, and his voice cheated him and nothing came out. His vision winked out into black, and his legs gave out.

Hinata heard the hit more than he felt it.


	2. Rainfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Could you please tell me when the next train for Sendai leaves?"
> 
> "Sendai? Never heard of it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet. Here I go with the second chapter. And yep, there's gonna be more.

Where was he? Tsukishima grimace and his eyelid fluttered. What happened? He strained his memory, and began to remember.

  
He remembered the weird feeling he got while tutoring Hinata through maths, as though he was... happy? He was mostly disgusted with himself actually _enjoying_ helping the two simpletons. His irritation grew when he couldn't remember what came next. What came next?

  
His senses came back suddenly, and he became aware of the unpleasant wetness and coldness that seemed to surround him like a glove.

  
Cold? Wet?

  
His eyes snapped open, though his vision was blurry. He automatically reached to adjust his glasses but found they were already on. He wiped at the surface with his sleeve, and realised that there was water pit-pattering onto his face.

  
Tsukishima sat bolt upright, cringing from the horrible sensation it brought.

  
He was in a city, one that looked like it had been ripped straight from the morbid urban stories he liked to read. The sky above was complete grey, the cuboid buildings that reach up to tare at the clouds were somehow even darker. The some windows shined bright yellow, others were pitch black. The brick pavement he was laying on was neat and lead out of the alleyways and into the main roads.

  
Yep, this was a dream. Or at least a bad acid trip.

  
But Tsukishima never had realistic dreams like this- he never had dreams in the first place. He even doubted dreams were a thing at one point. It was always the fall-asleep-and-wake-up-almost-instantly situation for him. But if this wasn't a dream then what was this? Because this sure as hell wasn't reality.

  
Tsukishima heaved himself up onto his feet to get a better look. Good God what was this place? His thoughts turned to his geography lessons. Was there a place in the world with such architecture? Of course there was- every modern city was built like this, but why the hell would Tsukishima be there? Be here, when he really should be at school, or in the clubroom?

  
A distant voice snapped Tsukishima from his analysis. It may have been for good reason too, he was about to drive himself crazy. He strained his ears to listen, and managed to pin-point where the voice were coming from. Maybe whoever was groaning could tell him where he was. Or even if this was real at all.

  
He was 72% sure this was a dream.

  
The moment he saw the black shape struggling on the floor Tsukishima's shoulders sagged.

  
A string of curses emerged from the writhing shape, in a voice that Tsukishima would rather die than admit he recognised. He then noticed the shape was wearing the same burgundy shirt and trousers as he was- with the words 'Karasuno First Year' written clearly on the back and front.

  
"Kageyama?"

  
The setter raised his eyes to him, and he flopped back on the ground. "Go away. Let me die."

  
Tsukishima shouldn't've been as surprised as he was. He groaned too. "Well if you insist."

  
He spun on his heel to wander the shallow alleyway, but found no other leads. He popped his head out to look out into the main road, and felt a pang of annoyance when he realised he didn't recognise this area at all.

  
Usually Tsukishima didn't bother venturing to new places- knew his haunts and way home like the back of his hand, and it was enough for him. He was absolutely not a curious person- that title belonged to Hinata.

  
But unfamiliarity made his skin crawl; it was a secret weakness of his that even Yamaguchi didn't know about. It was a huge no-no, that's why Tsukishima never went to new places. It made him vulnerable and angry.

  
The sound of a train made him lift his head. That meant they were close to a train station, and that meant information. He sighed with relief, but then remembered the setter behind him.

  
Being alone in a new place was one of the worst experiences one could ever experience, at least in Tsukishima's eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose when he realised that he would undoubtedly feel more at ease when he had someone familiar by his side.

  
Granted that 'someone' had to be Kageyama, but what other choice did he have?

  
"Ey, King." He looked back at Kageyama, who hadn't moved a muscle. He was going to catch an illness at this rate. Both of them were if they didn't get out of the pelting rain for heaven's sake. "You planning on moving at all?"

  
There was another groan from Kageyama's side. "Nope. When you die in dreams you wake up."

  
Was that how things worked? Just the knowledge of Kageyama knowing more things than he did made Tsukishima attempt to bite his upper gum. But he was pretty sure you couldn't exactly feel in dreams. And he was feeling the chill creeping up his back and completely freeze him over. "This can't be a dream," he snapped at him. "Shared-dreams aren't a thing. Besides, I'm going to freeze to death if I don't get out of the rain soon."

  
With another groan of protest, Kageyama got himself up to his feet and stretched, as if waking from a peaceful nap. "Where do you want to go?"

  
Tsukishima gestured out to the road with his head. "I can hear trains. Stations are mostly covered with a roof. Come on."  
It must've been the first time Tsukishima had been alone with Kageyama, and though Tsukishima was slightly grateful for the setter's company, he would've preferred literally anyone else. Well, not anyone- Hinata was a complete no-no for a travel companion. Sure, he was docile and obedient when he was studying but that completely vanished once the books were closed. He would be bouncing now, not even taking the pouring rain into account and gaining too much attention, which was plain annoying.

  
Was Hinata here too if Kageyama was? What about Yamaguchi? Or Yachi?

  
When they finally arrived at the train station, it was a huge relief. The rain had stop pelting at them, and the wind was locked out. Kageyama took one step inside the shelter and shook himself like a dog, splattering droplets of water everywhere.

  
"The hell's wrong with you?" Tsukishima snapped, taking his glasses off to wipe them with the hem of his t-shirt, which was also wet but better than nothing.

  
Kageyama shrugged his shoulders. "I'm much drier now though, so I don't see your problem."

  
And here's more proof to Tsukishima's theory that the simpletons actually have animal brains. But then again now Kageyama was somewhat drier than before, and he was still soaking wet. He'd be dead before he copied Kageyama's animalistic instincts.

  
The station was a lot like the many Tsukishima had seen in movies. One had arrived right now, people unpacking their things, leaving while on their phones or running into relative arms, by the looks of it.

  
The two boys stepped in front of the huge billboard with the train times, their eyes scanning for Sendai- Karasuno was on the outskirts of the capital of Miyagi Prefecture. However no matter how much they looked, the name wasn't there. A knot began to twist in Tsukishima's stomach the longer he looked.

  
Why wouldn't there be a train heading to Sendai?

  
"Stay here, I'm going to ask the ticket lady something," he said, trying to hide his growing anxiety by his indifference. Kageyama grumbled something in response, but Tsukishima had already left his side.

  
Talking to strangers was also a thing that was low on his hobby list.

  
"Excuse me?"

  
The lady behind the screen lifted her head from a crossword puzzle and adjusted her round glasses so get a better look at him. She looked him up and down, undoubtedly registering the fact that he was soaking wet, and grimaced. "How may I help you?"

  
Tsukishima cleared his throat. "Could you please tell me when the next train for Sendai leaves?"

  
The woman gave him an odd look. " _Sendai_? Never heard of it."

  
Tsukishima's eyebrows raised to hide behind his hairline. How? How could this lady not have heard of Sendai? Unless they were in some other country- but then again the woman spoke Japanese.

  
"Are we in Japan?"

  
The woman looked irritated now. "Of course we are."

  
"Miyagi Prefecture?"

  
"Yes!"

  
Tsukishima fought hard not to make a 'tsk' sound. "Then I'd like to know when the next train for Sendai leaves."

  
The woman looked borderline angry now. She let her precious newspaper go and leaned forward to look directly into Tsukishima's eyes. "Listen here, I'm not in the mood for pathetic pranks. There's no such place as Sendai. Why don't you hurry along now? Someone's trying to ask a decent question."

  
The man behind him that barged past only reached up to Tsukishima's shoulder, but his force nearly sent Tsukishima stumbling onto his butt. He gained his balance and looked around to Kageyama.

  
The midnight-haired setter cocked his head to the side, still standing in the place he was told to stay, his face twisted in question.

  
The only look Tsukishima could give back was one of pure panic.

 

* * *

 

"I'm sure the others are here somewhere."

  
Yamaguchi and Hinata were running from the rain, already soaked to the bone and shivering as they ran. Eventually they found shelter underneath a bridge across a high motorway. The cars zoomed past without another thought.

  
God, it was so cold. Yamaguchi shivered from head to toe, rubbing his arms to get some warmth into them. He flinched and raised his hands as a shield when he was splattered with water once more.

  
"Sorry," Hinata apologised quickly, looking at his feet guiltily. Why was he apologising?

  
"It's nothing," Yamaguchi assured him, before copying Hinata's quick shake, though didn't quite achieve the same speed and found himself just colder than before. "Where do you suppose we are?"

  
"So you don't know where we are?" Hinata tilted his head to side in question. His wide ember eyes twinkled in the rainlight, so clear that they reflected the world around like mirrors. If Yamaguchi stared into them long enough, he was sure he'd see his entire future inside them.

  
Yamaguchi shook his head sadly, forcefully stopping his chattering teeth. Sitting down on the cold ground wasn't an option, so he lead the way into a more sheltered part of the bridge, so that the people in those speeding cars couldn't gawk at them. Yamaguchi could almost feel their gazes burning through his skin like acid.

  
Suddenly something snaked it way into his hand. He spun round, only to meet Hinata's stare once more.

  
The little ginger seemed unaware of the effects of his gaze, for he looked deeper and said, serious as a diagnosis; "Yamaguchi, are you okay?"

  
Yamaguchi wanted to lie, to tell him that everything was okay, but Hinata's stare was like a truth-drug.

  
"I... I'm worried about everyone else," he pressed his hand to his eye, his other still held in Hinata's. His lower lip shook, and the edges of his eyes began to sting. "I don't understand why we're here, or how we even got here. I'm worried about Tsukki, and Yachi and Kageyama, if we're here then they must be too. It's just that everything has happened so fast and it's disturbing and confusing and horrifying. What if they're not safe? What if they're hurt? What if-"

  
"Yamaguchi," Hinata's hush put a stop to Yamaguchi's rambling. He hadn't noticed, but Hinata had taken his hand in both of his, warmth radiating from him like a radiator. Lucky- Yamaguchi could never hold onto body heat, he was practically reptilian. "We're going to find them and get back home. I double pinky promise. We could go out to look for them now if you'd like."

  
Yamaguchi heaved a dry laugh. "I think we should wait out the rain first."

  
"Oh right," Hinata let his hand go and looked back as if to make sure it was still raining. Did he already forget? Oh what a sunflower child-

  
His statement was answered before he could even finish it. Hinata leaned forward and pressed his face into Yamaguchi's cold chest, hands hanging limply by his sides. There was a surge of warmth where Hinata touched him, and Yamaguchi couldn't help but feel more at ease.

  
"I'm glad you're here Yamaguchi," Hinata said, slightly muffled. "I'm glad I'm not alone."

  
Yamaguchi let himself wrap his arms around the little boy, resting his chin on the ginger mop of hair and melted into the warmth. Was Hinata always this warm? He probably was if he was warm and soaking wet.

  
"I'm glad you're here too," he whispered, and raised his eyes to watch the rain fall outside the bridge. He felt Hinata's arms return the embrace, and he felt safer. "Let's wait until the rain stops, shall we?"


	3. Drifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You nearly got me killed! But I bet you don't care. You don't care about anything you bastard!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have just realised how sucky this chapter is. The rest is where the good bits come in, I hope. Anyways, enjoy?

"What do you mean Sendai doesn't exist?"

  
Tsukishima's years of mastering the look of indifference saved him from flinching at Kageyama's literal jaw drop. The setter couldn't believe what the middle-blocker had said to him.

  
"Sendai is a place!" Kageyama snapped at him. "I live there!"

  
"Our school's there!" Tsukishima pointed out, losing some of his indifference. He pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture he'd always do when he was annoyed. But now he was scared and annoyed, the two worst feelings ever. If only he could go back to not caring at all. That would be better.

  
But how could he not care? Their home didn't exist at all. And sure, they may not all live in Sendai like Kageyama did, but it still held Karasuno, the only place which Tsukishima ever felt a pull to (aside from his own bedroom). Though he'd never say, Karasuno was home away from home. He wanted to go back.

  
Now it was perhaps time to care.

  
"What do we do?" Kageyama looked up to him, still oblivious as always.

  
Tsukishima would be flattered that the setter instinctively looked to him for guidance, if it wasn't for the fact that he too didn't know what to do. He sighed deeply. "What we need to do is find a map, maybe if we know where we are, we can get a grasp of what to do."

  
"There are no maps of anything anywhere," Kageyama observed.

  
"My, aren't you alert. Why don't you ask the lady at the desk? She's already sent me away once."

  
For a moment Kageyama looked as if he would object, but he seemed to take a page out of Hinata's book and bowed his head to slunk over to the counter. Man, Tsukishima didn't think he'd actually be so obedient, but then again maybe Kageyama's simple mind grasped onto the fact that Sendai not being a thing anymore was a big problem.

  
Worry tended to make people obedient.

  
Tsukishima watched from a distance as Kageyama approached the lady at the desk, who greeted him with the same sour expression. He asked something animatedly, the woman barked something back which made him give the woman a bewildered look.

  
Usually Tsukishima scoffed at that expression, especially at study-sessions, but now it sent his gut wringing itself out.  
He could see Kageyama try to explain something to the woman, perhaps that they needed to go home or something along those lines, when suddenly the woman stood to her feet and pointed something between Kageyama's eyes. The raven-hair froze over, and slowly raised his hands in surrender.

  
What was-

  
Tsukishima's stomach tied itself into a knot when he saw the light bounce off the silver barrel. His feet moved without his input, and instantly regretted it when he found the weapon pointed at his own head. He stopped in his tracks.

  
"I told you, I'm not in the mood for you idiot teenagers. There is no such place as your... whatever!" the woman bore her teeth, flat yet threatening as she pointed the weapon back at Kageyama. She clicked the safety off, and leaned out to press the cold metal against his forehead. His heart stopped, his eyes widened. The woman seemed pleased at the sight. "Don't bother me again."

  
The moment the weapon was lowered, Kageyama and Tsukishima backed off and walked off as fast as they could. They only stopped when the woman behind the desk was out of their sight.

  
Kageyama's panting was the first thing Tsukishima registered. Their terrified gazes met. He too was breathing heavily, deep and quick. Since when- what- how-

  
"I thought those were illegal!" he breathed, though the usual bite in his voice was gone. "I only asked her to the map for Sendai."

  
"Idiot!" Tsukishima barked back at him. "I told you she doesn't think Sendai's a place. Any moron with more than five brain cells would have the common sense to not mention it to her."

  
"I didn't know she was gonna pull a gun at me!" the setter defended himself fiercely. He was shaking. "You sent me to her!" His face turned dark. " _You sent me to her_." His finger jabbed at Tsukishima's chest. He couldn't help but flinch at the deep betrayal which laced his voice.

  
It was the smart thing to do! He'd already talked to her, so it only made sense that Kageyama tried... but how could he have known that the lady would react _that_ way out of all things?

  
"How was I supposed to know!?" Tsukishima's level-headed restraints began to break. "How in the name of-"

  
"You know _everything_ ," hissed Kageyama, his black hair falling over his eyes. Anger seemed to surround him like a poisonous gas.

  
Tsukishima had a flash of memory. The first time he'd officially met Kageyama, he looked exactly like this- murderous and raging. At that time he'd sneered at this sight, satisfied that his provocation was successful, but now all he could do was stand against this storm with no hint of satisfaction.

  
There was a whirl of wind, and then a flash of pain which tore a yelp from his throat. Tsukishima jerked back, hands grappling his face to adjust his glasses and press against his most-likely broken nose.

  
"You nearly got me _killed_!" Kageyama yelled into his face. "But I bet you don't care. You don't care about anything, you bastard!"

  
Tsukishima took his hands away from his face, rage rising in his throat when they came back red. There was blood gushing down his chin and onto his shirt. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" he shouted, closing in the distance between them. "You pathetic moron! If you had thought about anything but your precious sport for at least two seconds then maybe you wouldn't've gotten a gun shoved into your face! Now we don't have a map or a clue where the fuck we are and-"

  
Kageyama's hands fisted into his shirt, and yanked him forcefully forwards. He was ridiculously strong, Tsukishima knew that after watching him play on the court, but Kageyama was stronger than anybody ever gave him credit for, and it showed. "There you go again! Do you _ever_ take the blame!? You just blame me because I'm stupid!"

  
Finally Tsukishima found himself able to move. He wasn't one to induce in violence, but his self-control was slippery at best. He drove the back of his hand against Kageyama's jaw, sent him stumbling a little back. A growl emerged from the base of the setter's throat.

  
Suddenly the both of them were yanked away from each other. In his dizzied frenzy, Tsukishima saw the short black hair and instantly said; "Daichi-san?"

  
But it was not Daichi-san. The conductor had them both in a firm grip, shall any of them try to break through. His hair was the same as their captain, but his face was different. "Act your age!" he snapped, letting them go and storming off, muttering something about 'kids these days'.

  
The flame of fury had burnt out, leaving only uneasy silence and the awful aftershock. Tsukishima inhaled a breath full of blood, and instantly coughed it out with a choke. God, everything was spinning, his head hurt.

  
"Are you okay?" came the distant voice of Kageyama. But Tsukishima's answer was just the mumble of "Mmmkay" before he tipped and fell.

 

* * *

 

It had finally stopped raining, and the two under the bridge had dried a little more. They had spent God knows how long under that bridge, huddled together like two koalas. Throughout the whole time, Hinata didn't let Yamaguchi go, his head tucked under the pinch server's chin perfectly. Though Yamaguchi did feel slightly annoyed at himself that Hinata was the sole source of warmth between them.

  
"Hey, the rain's stopped," he mentioned, rubbing his cheek against Hinata's still-wet hair. "Let's go find the others."

  
There was a murmur that sounded like 'let me leep', and Hinata nuzzled his face further into Yamaguchi's chest.

  
The pinch server laughed, then sighed. "Come on, we've got to get going."

  
So the two made their way away from the motorway to the inner city. The sky had cleared from grey to blue, the wind slowing down to just a whisper. In just a couple of minutes the atmosphere went from absolutely freezing to pleasantly warm.  
They passed a train station, and wandered through a big market place. Was there tourist information anywhere? Probably somewhere near the town centre, if Yamaguchi's navigational instincts were correct. He always had a good sense of direction, though didn't trust it very much. He never needed it.

  
Eventually they made it to the place where they had woken up, a dark a shady alleyway which made the hair on Yamaguchi's neck stand on end. Places like these were the first places parents taught their children to stay away from, and Yamaguchi wanted to stay by that rule. But if he and Hinata had found themselves here, then that meant that the others had to be nearby, right?

  
A sharp chomp made him look back to Hinata, and his eyebrow raised. "Where did you get an apple from?"

  
Hinata took another bite from the bright red apple, and took another one out of his pocket. "From that market place. They were really easy."

  
"Really easy?"

  
The ginger held out the apple to him. "Here you go. I took one for you too."

  
Yamaguchi's gut twisted. "You mean you stole it?"

  
Hinata shrugged his shoulders. "If you go to Yugigaoka Junior High, you know all the street-tricks. It's kinda an unspoken rule. I don't shoplift anymore now that I'm in highschool, but it's kinda a useful thing to know." He pressed the apple into Yamaguchi's hands, but the pinch server snatched his hand away as if it burnt him.

  
"I'm not taking that," he snapped firmly. "Stealing is wrong."

  
Hinata gave him a confused look. "But you haven't eaten."

  
Yamaguchi could feel his arm jerk and his stomach make itself heard. He swallowed his hunger down. A part of him wanted to thank Hinata for thinking of him, but the other part wanted to yell at him for even doing such a thing. Why must this tiny child show his friendship in the weirdest ways?

  
"I'm not eating anything that was stolen, and that's a final," he said sternly, and continued to walk. It took him a while to realise Hinata wasn't by his side anymore. He stopped and looked back, only to find Hinata looking reluctantly at the ground.

"Hinata?"

  
"There wasn't any other way!" he objected, puffing out his chest to make himself look bigger than he really was. "What if we starved? What if we die?"

  
"We won't die." Yamaguchi had been irritated a few times, and it was an unpleasant feeling. But now Hinata was just being baselessly stupid, more so than usual. Perhaps it was Tsukki's influence which made him less tolerable of dumb decisions. "Come on."

  
For a moment it looked like Hinata would continue to be stubborn, but he backed down and padded at Yamaguchi's heel obediently.

  
"I'll keep the apple if you want it later then," he whispered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

  
They didn't talk at all since then, and soon Yamaguchi wanted to at least apologise. Maybe even take the food that was offered to him.

  
"Hinata! Yamaguchi!"

  
Both boys looked up at the familiar voice at once, and Yamaguchi shuddered.

  
The first time he saw Yachi, his heart flipped over itself multiple times as he fought of his blush and tried not to stare. He had successfully had multiple conversations with her since then, but seeing her again like this had his heart bleeding again.

  
She ran over to them, not a single drop of water clinging to her jersey or her golden hair. Her eyes were wide, as were her arms.

  
Where did she come from?

  
Yamaguchi's thoughts scattered as the small weight crashed into him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank God you're alright!" She backed off a second later, and went straight into Hinata, who was less awkward and hugged her back almost instantly.

  
He broke the hug and held her shoulders, brown eyes meeting brown eyes. A few moments ago Yamaguchi would've described them as the same, but now he saw that Yachi's eyes were like dry mud, while Hinata's were more warm- like amber clay.

  
"Where have you been?" he asked her.

  
Yachi smiled shyly, then took Hinata's hands in hers. "Don't ask why, but we need to get to the train station."

  
Hmm? Get where now?

  
Yamaguchi and Hinata's confused expressions must've asked the question for them, because Yachi's face moulded into the ' _I'm-not-good-at-talkin_ g' face.

  
"I'll explain on the way," she promised, taking Yamaguchi by the wrist shyly. "Just please, come with me."


	4. Reunited?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yeah Hinata already tried to explain it to us. Something about time travel or something equally as impossible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter- but hopefully everything will be better from now on. The beginnings are always the most difficult.  
> Thank you for everything!

Kageyama had been in a few situations where he did not know what to do. Exams, for example. What was he supposed to be thinking when taking them? His brain just malfunctioned and he froze over.

  
Accidentally knocking out your teammate and having him fall on you was another situation.

  
Tsukishima might've been lanky and lean, but he was big and turned out to be heavy. When he collapsed, Kageyama fumbled to keep him from planting his face into the ground. He let Tsukishima lay unconsciously on him, his nosebleed stopping on its own.

  
He had always wanted to punch Tsukishima on the many occasions he had gotten on his nerves, the " _you're-lucky-we're-in-a-school_ " reason always holding him back. Now that he finally got to do it, he was surprised to find it felt strange rather than satisfying.

  
But his brain didn't even register that. It focused on a string of short-circuits and a single screaming thought.

  
_WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO NOW!?_

  
This wasn't the best situation, was it? People were beginning to stare and Kageyama burned hot under his skin.

  
He heaved Tsukishima's arm over his shoulder and dragged him like a drunken friend over to one of the free benches on the platform. He dropped Tsukishima over the bench, then sat down and frantically tried to make it _not_ look like he was knocked out and just taking a nap.

  
Now what?

  
How do you wake someone up from a knock-out? Kageyama didn't know- he never _needed_ to know.

  
What has he done?

  
He always gave Hinata shit for panicking the way he did, and perhaps he'd been infected with it. For heaven's sake he never panicked like this, that was Hinata's job.

  
It was an unpleasant feeling.

  
His head snapped up at the sound of his name. Someone was calling his name- a voice he could recognise everywhere.

  
Oh thank the heavens.

  
The boy was running towards him, the heads turning like windmills at him- partly because he was shouting, partly because ginger hair wasn't a common sight in the Far East. But if Kageyama had to chose any sight to ease him out of that unpleasant feeling, he would've chosen this one.

  
Kageyama was up on his feet in an instant, completely lost for words. If Hinata was here, then...

  
"There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" He skidded to a halt when his eyes settled on Tsukishima. "What happened to him!? Is Tsukishima alright?"

  
Kageyama sucked in air through gritted teeth. "Long story not worth explaining."

  
Just then Tsukishima groaned and began to stir, pressing a hand to his nose. At least he wasn't dead- that was something wasn't it?

  
"Tsukishima are you okay?" Hinata bounced up to him, barely giving him enough time to being conscious again. The blonde just scowled at him.

  
Hinata seemed unaffected, breathing a sigh of relief before turning back to Kageyama. "Yachi's figured everything out, and we're gonna be back home shortly and-"

  
"Wait what?" Kageyama shook his hands at him, signalling for him to slow down. He didn't like it when Hinata knew more than he did, even if it went beyond school. "Start from the beginning."

  
Hinata gave a chuckle. "Bakayama. Yachi's figured everything out, where we are and how we need to get home. She does a lot of readin and she knows a lot. Anyways, she said we've managed to travel diagonally in time, because of physics and relativity or something like that, I dunno. That's why everything is so weird here."

  
Kageyama did not understand a single word Hinata had just said to him.

  
Tsukishima grumbled and groaned. "Stop trying to sound smart." His hand pushed his glassed up his broken nose, and Kageyama felt a little bad for it. Just a little.

  
"I'm really not! It's Yachi you should be thanking! She's the smart one who knows a lot of things! She's with Yamaguchi now, there's asking the desk-lady for directions to-"

  
"WHAT!?"

  
Kageyama felt his entire world screech to a halt. He remembered the cold metal against his forehead, and the sickening lurch of fear in his stomach. If Yachi and Yamaguchi were off facing that old hag then-

  
Tsukishima had also stood to his feet, though his eyes spasmed and he winced.

  
"Yeah," Hinata smiled, oblivious to the clearly obvious fact that talking to the desk-lady was a very bad idea. "They're here too! Over there!"

  
Kageyama's eyes followed Hinata's finger, and he didn't think he'd be as glad as he was at the their sight. He also realised he'd never seen Yamaguchi with damp hair before.

  
Yachi was waving over her head, and Yamaguchi called out the shortened nickname he had for his best friend. They seemed alright, that meant they didn't have a weapon shoved into their faces. Either that or they were better at acting calm.

  
"Tsukki! What happened to you!?" Yamaguchi whimpered instantly, losing no time in noticing the drying blood on Tsukishima's face.

  
Thankfully Tsukishima didn't seem eager sharing the fact either, for he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and murmured; "Shut up Yamaguchi."

  
Yamaguchi looked as if he might persist, but thought better of it, then shut up. But Yachi didn't care about that. "You've got blood all over your face! You're clearly not okay!"

  
"It's nothing."

  
"It's clearly not nothing Tsukki!"

  
"It's not important!"

  
"STOP YELLING!"

  
Why had they wanted to find each other in the first place again? Maybe it would've been better if they had all stayed well away from each other? But then that would mean no more volleyball with them.

  
(Because as much as Kageyama hated their personalities, he enjoyed playing with them, having them by his side on the court.)

  
When they managed to calm down slightly, Yachi piped up again. "I have a theory as to where we are..."

  
"Yeah, Hinata already tried to explain it to us." Tsukishima glowered down at Hinata, who instinctively bristled back. "Something about time travel or something equally as impossible."

  
Yachi puffed out her cheeks. "It's not completely impossible- I mean theoretically speaking. I've waited out the rain in the library, and... gosh this sounds stupid, but this world is apparently... flat."

  
"The world is what now?"

  
Kageyama knew the world wasn't flat. He wasn't that stupid. He met Hinata's eyes, and found a little comfort in the fact that his spiker seemed just as lost as he was.

  
"So it's basically _Disc World_ ," Tsukishima crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders. "It sounds so stupid. How do you know it's a diagonal reality?"

  
Kageyama looked up to Yamaguchi as the two blondes continued to discuss whatever they were discussing. The pinch server looked to him as well.

  
"Have any idea what they're talking about?"

  
Yamaguchi also shrugged his shoulders with an 'IDK' noise. "I have some idea, but no way am I as smart as those two."

  
Yamaguchi seriously needed to give himself more credit.

  
At least everything was going well now.


	5. Oh For Heaven's Sake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's... This is..." She took a deep breath. "This is the only option that sounds coherent and possible with our limited experience and resources." She tapped her finger on another passage.
> 
> "Yeah, 'coherent'," Tsukishima parroted back. 
> 
> "That doesn't make any sense," Hinata pointed out.
> 
> Yachi looked up at them. "What other option do we have?"

Yachi had lead them to a small corner-store library, where she had first woken up to the confused faces of other bookworms. She had freaked out, but now wasn't the time to be freaked out.

  
This would be the first time she'd ever taken the lead in anything. It was terrifying, usually she had Shimizu to walk alongside her and guide her, but now she was alone. She knew deep down inside that it would be just her managing the team once the third years left- she didn't want to think about that. But maybe she could get used to it with this little incident? Leading a small band of drones like a queen bee.

  
Tsukishima instantly went to the bathroom to get himself cleaned up. He still hadn't told anyone what had happened, and Kageyama was staying strangely silent about the matter, no matter how much they probed him. He had a strong will despite everything.

  
Oh thank goodness the books she'd picked out were still where she left them. Yamaguchi and Hinata helped carry the books to an empty table, where she flipped through the pages of an atlas.

  
"There," she pointed to the map of the whole world. It was relatively the same as their own world map they had in geography class, except with one key difference. The North American continent never touched with Asia, there was a thick black line marked clearly 'EDGE OF THE WORLD'. "Apparently this world it flat like a pancake. I wondered how that could be possible-" she took another book and flipped through it. "So I took to looking for answers to that since it isn't a dream." She found the page she was looking for and tapped it with her finger. "See here, that's a page on how time travel works, so this world must be at least a little more futuristic than ours, maybe three years into the future? Five at the most." She looked over to Yamaguchi. "So my guess is that we went forwards, and horizontally. Diagonally if you will."

  
"WOW!" Hinata bounced up to peek at the books. "Man Yachi-san! You're so smart for figuring this out!

  
Yachi blushed and stuttered, shaking. She even felt Tsukishima come up to her from behind and look over.

  
"Time travel in the forth dimension," he read aloud. He fixed his glasses, though winced when they balanced on his broken nose. "I wish now I paid a little more attention in physics. It's basically maths with context."

  
Hinata looked up to him with wide eyes. "I thought you liked maths? The way you always talk about it makes it sound like the best thing in the world."

  
Yachi didn't even need to see Tsukishima's face to feel the cringe. "Just because I'm good at it doesn't mean I like it. It's incredibly mindnumbing." He leaned over again, and Yachi felt the heat of his body on her back.

  
Why did she feel so exposed? Tsukishima behind her, the others beside her. She felt as if she was pulling up her shirt to show her bare chest. Or maybe that was her anxiety.

  
"Does it say anything about how we actually do it?"

  
Yachi jolted. "W-well. It's all about going faster than the speed of light, this book uses really advanced language and words I don't really understand most of it. For-Fortunately I've found something in another book."

  
She pulled up another book from the bottom of the pile. It was evidently old, with a paper cover that was slightly shredded.

  
"' _What is over the Edge?_ '" Yamaguchi sucked air in through his teeth. "Are you sure Yachi-san?"

  
No. She wasn't sure. She didn't answer as she flipped open the book to a very early chapter.

  
" _World Beyond Our Own_ ," Hinata read out loud.

  
"I can read asshole!" Kageyama snapped at him.

  
Tsukishima snorted. "Could've fooled me."

  
Yamaguchi jolted. "Please be quiet! We've already drawn too much attention to ourselves." He shook his hands. "You're not listening. I think we all want to go home, so listen to Yachi."

  
Thank God for Yamaguchi. He seemed the calmest out of all of them, which Yachi was grateful for- she felt exactly the opposite.

  
"It's... This is..." She took a deep breath. "This is the only option that sounds coherent and possible with our limited experience and resources." She tapped her finger on another passage.

  
"Yeah, ' _coherent_ '," Tsukishima parroted back. "You're literally proposing we sail off the edge of the world."

  
"That doesn't make any sense," Hinata pointed out.

  
Yachi looked up at them. "What other option do we have?"

  
In the end, they agreed on trying to sail off the edge of the world. What was the worst that could possibly happen?  


* * *

 

"Man, these are just like those fancy English trains!"

  
As if compartments in a train immediately made it English. Tsukishima rolled his eyes and pressed his fingers atop Hinata's head, enjoying the tiny silence that followed. "Be quiet, we don't need to attract more attention to ourselves than we already have." He only took his hand away when Hinata winced and shuddered.

  
There wasn't much he could do with the dried blood on his shirt- it was a dark stain against burgundy so it could literally be anything. It was a comforting thought, and Tsukishima was already planning on how to get under Kageyama's skin in revenge.

  
Yamaguchi was already curled up against the window, eyeing the boarding passengers with a bored curiosity. They hadn't really said anything to each other, and as much as Tsukishima loved silence, Yamaguchi's distance had began to get unsettling.

  
Tsukishima blamed everything on this reality. No wonder everything felt a little off. He had always read stories about worlds were a single thing was different and it changed everything. He never payed it any thought however, never thought it could be legitimate.

  
He sighed and took his place next to Yamaguchi, and barked at Hinata to close the door. Their compartment had two doors- one to the aisle inside the train, the other to the platform.

  
"I've never been on a train before," Hinata mentioned, looking around in wonder, as if he was stepping into a gym hall for the first time. "Is it like a coach?"

  
"The train goes faster, if that's what you mean," Yachi replied nicely. "It is bumpy though, if I remember- last time I was on a train I was about seven... maybe eight."

  
"I think you mean a subway, those don't have compartments," Yamaguchi mumbled.

  
Kageyama groaned and pointed an accusing finger at Hinata. "If you puke on me I'll snap your neck."

  
Tsukishima felt like he was going to puke himself. Usually he would put his headphones over his ears and listen to his favourite playlist, as he did when on coach rides or on the way home, but he must've left his phone in the clubroom. He felt weird without the music, and he quickly realised that none of them had anything other that the clothes on their backs.

  
A finger poked him gently in the shoulder, and he whipped his head round to snap. He caught himself mid-bark when instead of Hinata he saw that Yachi had poked him. She looked terrified, but managed to stammer out; "M-May I set your nose? It looks l-like it's badly broken."

  
Tsukishima flashed a quick glare at Kageyama, who pretended not to notice. "Sure," he mumbled, and took his glasses off.

  
He couldn't see jack shit without his glasses, just the blurry outline of colour, and he was a little jealous of those who didn't have to wear glasses just to see things. Not even Yamaguchi knew how awful his vision actually was.

  
So he closed his eyes and felt Yachi's trembling hands settle on the broken bone. He winced when a sharp click was heard, and his nose started to bleed again.

  
"There, it should be set n-now," Yachi announced, backing right off as Tsukishima pinched his nose. For god's sake he'd just gotten the blood off!

  
"Really?" he murmured sarcastically. "It feels like it's just been more broken."

  
"You're bruising under your eyes too," Yachi pointed out.

  
"Thanks for the update."

  
The sharp whistle tore through the air, and the train began to move. It lurched and began to groan and wheeze as it left the platform and went slowly on its way. The station disappeared from view, replaced by an unfamiliar landscape of heather-covered wolds and pine trees.

  
For a while they sat in silence, getting comfortable for their journey home.

  
Maybe comfortable was the wrong word to use. Four out of five had been on a coach together, and it was a lot more comfortable then than now. Tsukishima rested his chin on his chest, closing his eyes and settling to listen to the soft rhythm of the train.

  
He cracked his eye open a few minutes later, eyeing the rest. Yamaguchi was still curled around himself on his left, eyes glued to the moving landscapes outside the window, while Yachi on his right fiddled with her hands, her fingers tying knots like fishnets. Opposite, Kageyama had his head rolled back, his eyes also closed and his leg bouncing, while Hinata next to him had his forehead propped against the glass, his lips moving slightly as he voiced silent concerns to himself.

  
Were they all nervous? Well, who could blame them- anybody would be if they had just gotten on a train God knew where after finding out their home didn't exist anymore. Just that... someone needed to say something and nobody knew what it was.

  
Tsukishima wasn't a nice talker, if anything opening his mouth would make things worse. People always told him that if he didn't have anything nice to say he shouldn't say anything at all. This was possibly the first time he listened to that advice.  
It was so quiet Tsukishima could hear everyone's individual breathing. It was unsettling to say the least. He closed his eyes again.

  
A quiet crunch made him look again. The sound was loud in the silence, and it seemed to jolt everyone awake from their trances. Every head snapped towards the sound, towards Hinata taking a bite out of an apple.

  
"Dumbass where did you get that?" Kageyama demanded before anyone else could say a word. Hinata just eyed him silently, and exaggerated his chewing and swallowed for show before he replied with simply-

  
"I'm hungry."

  
A vein popped out at Kageyama's temple, one Tsukishima always admired when the setter had gotten annoyed. "That doesn't answer my fucking question."

  
"Geez, you're vulgar," Hinata rolled his eyes. "I had it in my pocket."

  
"Ya, cuz you stole it."

  
Now everyone was looking at Yamaguchi. Hinata's jaw dropped before he made a sound which could only be described as 'suburban-mum-gets-offended'. "Way to rat me out, snitch-yama. For your information they were really easy to steal."

  
Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow. "That's your defence?"

  
"Hinata you didn't!" Yachi gasped.

  
"Look, if it upsets you that much I won't do it again," Hinata mumbled, taking out another bite.

  
Tsukishima shook his head. "My expectations for you were low, but holy fuck."

  
Hinata's gaze darkened. "I don't do it anymore. It's not as if I did drugs or anything- which I didn't. I just had a crazy group of rugrat friends in a public school."

  
"There we go, that's a valid reason," Yamaguchi mumbled, still not taking his eyes off the moving scenery.

  
"Well you might as well share," Kageyama barked, outstretching his hand towards him. "The rest of us are hungry too."

Hinata handed him the apple without another thought, and knocked his head against the glass. There was a crunch as Kageyama took his share.

  
"Throw it over." Kageyama gave Tsukishima a bewildered glare, but for once in his life he didn't argue and obeyed.

  
At last he got to taste something other than his own saliva. He noticed Yachi staring. He held it out to her. She squeaked before taking it and taking her own bite. Yamaguchi sighed and asked for the last bite.

  
"Gimme the core," Kageyama suddenly said.

  
"What. Why?"

  
"What, are we gonna throw it away?" Kageyama tilted his head, a stupid gesture Tsukishima came to resent in the setter. "It's perfectly edible."

  
Yamaguchi pulled a nervous face as he handed him the apple core, while Hinata just gave him this mock-serious face which made Tsukishima cringe.

  
Well that was one way to start a conversation. One that Tsukishima didn't want to be a part of.

  
Goodness gracious. Could he go home now?

  
There was a knock on their compartment door, and all five of them went silent.

  
"May I come in?"

  
"Oh um, sure." Yamaguchi spoke for all of them.

  
The door slid open, and in came a member of the train staff, holding a strange pad in his hands. His eyes were cold and bore holes into the sitting five. He had that same tick in his eyes as the lady at the desk, and Tsukishima instantly tensed.

  
He thought he'd get a weird glare for his messed-up face but the dude just plain ignored it, as if it was perfectly normal. Was this perfectly normal?

  
"May I see your tickets?"

  
Tsukishima's stomach dropped.

  
They had no tickets. No money. No anything.

  
Their horrified faces must've betrayed them before they even uttered any words. The guy looked them up and down before dragging out a long sigh. "You do know riding without tickets is illegal?"

  
Of course it was. But where were they gonna get off? They were in the middle of-

  
Tsukishima didn't even get to finish his sarcastic thought. He caught a glimpse of a silver weapon on his belt, and caught out the movement of the guy's arm towards it.

  
Just like the desk lady.

  
"OH HELL."

  
He moved completely on instinct, something he thought he wasn't capable of doing. Usually he would observe, think things through, then act. Though now his brain was just yelling at him- he had to act fast, he had to act now.

  
He slammed the door in the guy's face.

  
"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi gasped out, possibly horrified that his best friend could be so rude to a total stranger.

  
Nobody had the chance to say anything else. There was a large boom and a single bullet tore through the door, shedding splinters everywhere before poking a hole through the window.

  
"Get down!"

  
Kageyama lashed out with his leg, denting the doorknob with one swift kick. It buckled, but the lock was lodged in, keeping the door shut.

  
"What's happening!?"

  
"We need to get off this damn train and now! That's what's happening!"

  
Hinata and Kageyama heaved open the platform-way door, frantically trying not to get shot in the process.

  
The wind howled, the wheels of the train were louder now, pounding like Tsukishima's heart against his ribcage. The land was going so fast it was practically a blur. This was the way. The only way.

  
The guy outside paused with the attack to yell at them to open the door. None of them were listening.

  
"Are you sure this is safe!?"

  
"Do you want to get shot!?"

  
Hinata was the first to jump (he always was), shortly followed by Kageyama and Yachi. Yamaguchi leaped next, and Tsukishima felt another shot fly past his head before he too jumped.

  
The train behind whisked immediately away, and he ended up landing hard on his feet and knees, bouncing painfully onto his side and rolling a couple of times. For a while he stayed down, gasping for breath after breath and waiting for the poisonous rhythm of the train to finally leave them alone.

  
This was a horrifying reality. A fake world. A cruel world.

  
There was a strange feeling settling in his lungs, not allowing him to properly breathe. Did he hit the ground too hard? No, he had felt this feeling once before- when he saw his brother-

  
It was mixed with something stronger though, something that was spreading inside him like the plague.

  
"Tsukki! Are you alright?"

  
Tsukishima realised he hadn't moved in a while. He made to get up, cursing the possible bruises he'd have on his knees and side. "Shut up Yamaguchi," came the automatic response. He pressed his hand to his eye under his glasses.

  
"Is everyone alright?"

  
Apart from a few scratches and bruises here and there, they were alright. Emotional trauma didn't count. It was most present in Hinata, who had gone pale and deathly silent. Tsukishima had wished multiple times for Hinata to be quiet on multiple occasions, but now it was bordering on slightly creepy.

  
The train was gone, and they were left standing there alone on the side of the tracks. It had been thirty minutes since their departure so they were pretty far.

  
"Quick question," Kageyama spoke up after a moment's silence. "WHERE THE FUCK DO WE GO NOW?" He took a deep breath, which shook slightly as if he were to burst into tears. "We're literally stranded in the middle of fucking nowhere with nothing at all!"

  
In reply Hinata bent over and threw up like a sick dog.

  
Could this really get any worse?

  
"Let's get off the tracks, first of all." Yamaguchi took a deep breath and looked out into the forest, then at the darkening sky. "And we need to find some shelter before night sets. Gosh, we should've just stayed in the city."

  
Yes, they should've.


	6. What is Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe I just transcended the point of fear, and I can't feel emotions anymore." 
> 
> ...That's a lie, I'm frightened as hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, this is finally the part where things start to fall into place with their relationship- I really wanted to get the downwards spiral over with so the softness can begin!
> 
> If you're reading this, good to see ya here mate. Have a nice night!

There was no shelter. The forest turned out to be cluttered with weeds and thorns, and it took them quite a while to wade through the barriers and even longer to find a place half-decent enough to stay in.

  
It wasn't even a clearing, just a small patch of mossy floor between three trees arranged in a triangle that wasn't shrub-infested.

  
It had been tough, but they had eventually managed to light a fire. Well, ' _fire_ ' was an overstatement- the twigs they had gathered barely managed to smoulder even after furious rubbing with the sticks. It wasn't enough warmth, and even Hinata had enough common sense to worry that they wouldn't make it through the night.

  
He wanted to throw up, yet he was starving and he'd already returned everything he had eaten. So instead he curled round himself on the most soft bit of moss he could find. The twigs were sprinkled with red embers, just enough to cast moving shadows across the other faces. They looked scary, so Hinata just focused on the glowing red 'campfire'.

  
There was an owl hooting somewhere nearby, its cry echoing several times between the trees. It made Hinata lift his head only to listen, before setting it down again and continue watching the flames.

  
They must've sat there in silence for a few minutes, because the sky had finished darkening, went navy to complete crow-black. Perhaps it was starless, Hinata couldn't see any stars past the thick, interwoven canopy above them.

  
"..oh don't be so down Tsukki!" Yamaguchi's voice snapped him out of his trance. Hinata looked at them discretely. "It's just like a camping trip."

  
"Camping is planned and you usually have a tent," Tsukishima corrected sourly. "We're not camping. We're lost and we're homeless; that's what we are."

  
Hinata decided to ignore him, he shuffled to better lay down on his stomach, resting his chin on criss-crossed wrists. This was much more comfortable, he didn't have that stick poking into his side.

  
How were things back home? Did the team freak out about their sudden lunchtime disappearance? What about his family? They must be worried sick! Would Natsu be able to sleep without his bedtime stories? Were they (the first years) reported as 'missing' by now? Was it enough time to be flagged as missing? There'd be missing posters with his face on them plastered all over Miyagi, the others too. Their families must be so distressed-

  
"Hinata?"

  
Hinata's train of thought was abruptly stopped when he heard Yachi call his name, and he looked up at her. _Her hair looks golden in the light_ , Hinata noticed. "Yeah?"

  
"Are you okay?"

  
"I'm fine," Hinata smiled at her. "Why'd you ask?"

  
Yachi tilted her head slightly sideways towards the fire, her eyes flicking towards it before back to Hinata. "You're not asleep yet?"

  
"No."

  
It took Hinata quite a while to realise what Yachi was trying to say. The other three guys had each managed to lull themselves to sleep around the shitty campfire, their anxious breathing smoothed out into a steady rhythm. Kageyama was at his other side, facing him with gritted teeth he bore even when he slept.

  
"You need to sleep," he told her simply. "You... can't sleep can you?"

  
Yachi laughed nervously, bringing up her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly. "If my eyes close, I feel like something will come out and eat me."

  
The hairs on the back of Hinata's neck stood on end, and he quickly swallowed down his reflux. "Try not to think about that. A lot of animals don't like humans."

  
"Yeah, that's true," Yachi mumbled and nodded. "You're being very calm."

  
"Mmm?"

  
"Calm," Yachi repeated. "Not showing anger, fear or strong emotions? You remember that definition?"

  
Hinata nodded, it was one of the easier words that they'd learned during their Japanese lessons. He sighed and looked back to the dying embers, which were now a dull red than the bright orange that they were before.

  
"I'm not calm," Hinata said eventually. "I just get quiet when I'm scared."

  
"And you throw up a lot."

  
"And I throw up a lot."

  
Yachi giggled slightly. "I had the opposite impression- you looked at peace."

  
Hinata shrugged. "Maybe I just transcended the point of fear, and I can't feel emotions anymore." _That's a lie, I'm frightened as hell._

  
"Transcended? Since when did you use that word?" Yachi's eyes were wide.

  
"Tsukishima once said that me and Kageyama have 'transcended the point of stupidity', and I like that word. It's really fun to say."

  
Yachi's laughter echoed across the empty forest, and for the first time Hinata's spirit lifted a little. She had such a pretty voice. "In any case," she said, now with a smile. "You act totally different when you're scared."

  
"Everyone acts different when they're scared," Hinata pointed out defensively. "You get jumpy and completely irrational, for example. Tsukishima goes from 'sarcastic-teasing' to just plain mean, Kageyama gets borderline violent and Yamaguchi flaps his arms around and panics a lot." He chuckled at Yachi's expression. "I'm not as observant as Tsukishima or Kageyama, but I do notice when people act different."

  
Yachi sighed and rubbed her shoulders to get some warmth into them. By now their makeshift campfire had put itself out, leaving a trail of smoke where the glow had once been. The orange light had given way to complete darkness, with only a barely visible dark grey outline marking where the objects around were. A cold wind made him shiver.

  
"Aren't you cold Yachi-san?"

  
Yachi's teeth were chattering. "No. Why'd you think that?"

  
Hinata rolled over to his side and opened his arm like a wing. "Come cuddle with me."

  
Had Yachi been drinking anything she'd have spat it all the way across their camp. "W-whwwaaat!? You- what?"

  
"You are cold," Hinata said. "It'll be warmer if you got close to me. It's okay; I hug Natsu all the time."

  
There was a moment of silence, before he heard shuffling and then another body was laying side by side with him. That wouldn't do; they couldn't share body heat this way. He huffed and blindly reached for her, giving out a satisfied huff when he pulled the other towards him, feeling her nose bump into his cheek with a mouse-like squeak.

  
"You okay?"

  
"Y-Y-Yeah, I'm just... you're really warm!" Yachi lifted her arms to wrap them round Hinata's torso, her palms flat on his back. Hinata smiled at her, throwing his leg over her thigh, to pull her even closer. He could feel her rapid heartbeat against his own chest, and frowned. Why was she nervous?

  
"Is this okay?" Hinata made sure, though his eyelids started to get heavier so he closed them. He could feel Yachi nodded her head slowly, sleepily, humming in agreement. She pressed her face to his, and her breathing smoothed out.

  
A few moments after Hinata surrendered to the welcoming arms of sleep.

* * *

 

When Kageyama woke up that morning, he had to remind himself where he was. He hoped that he'd wake up from that horrifying nightmare, in the safety of his own bed. He was looking forward to whispering ' _what the fuck_ ' to himself, before getting up and drinking from his bathroom tap, then quickly hurrying to get to school before Hinata did.

  
Instead he woke up to a woodlouse scurrying across the palm of his hand.

He shook it off instantly and sat bolt upright in a forest that looked as if it's been ripped straight out of a fairytale.

  
Maybe not a fairytale. Maybe a bad Bear Grylls episode.

  
Right. Not a dream. Diagonal reality.

  
He smacked his lips, tasting the faintness of the apple they'd shared on the train, before he tried to drink his own saliva. It somehow left his mouth drier than it already had been. When was the last time he'd had a drink?

  
"You're awake Kageyama?"

  
Kageyama spun round, already alert, but relaxed a little when he realised it was only Yamaguchi, tugging at the plants that had ensnared him as he tried to make it back to their camp. His burgundy 'Karasuno First-Year' jersey was torn slightly by thorns as he stumbled forward, freeing himself from the shrubs. He held up something dark and blue in his hands, pathetically yet proudly with a smile of a child who had just found a bug under a rock.

  
"I've found some blueberries," he said with a voice that smiled. "I've looked everywhere, and there's a whole bush of them back there." He looked up at Kageyama, the seeping sunlight making his freckles stand out against his face. "We won't starve yet, I guess. You want some?"

  
"Thanks Yamaguchi," he dipped his head and held out his hands, gratefully taking the food offered. It was not enough to satisfy his hunger, but it was something, and the taste was wonderful. As they say, hunger's the best cook. He looked up, and frowned. "Are you okay?"

  
"What- oh. I'm fine," he insisted with shaking hands, which he then rubbed against his own arms. "I'm completely fine, don't worry."

  
"Uh-huh, yeah," Kageyama replied, not completely convinced. Yamaguchi was good at many things, lying wasn't one of them. He flicked his finger to Yamaguchi's forehead, grimacing. Yamaguchi yelped slightly, and his eyes widened. "You're not fine."

  
Yamaguchi shook his head. "I'm fine," he repeated. "Just a little... shocked I guess." He looked up at the canopy. "And all I signed up for was a high-school volleyball club. Nobody'll believe us if we get back."

  
Kageyama grimaced at Yamaguchi's use of 'if'. "We're getting back, don't you worry." He poked him between the eyes again, as if to scold him, before stretching back his aching muscles. "But I do agree with you there. Nobody will believe us."

  
"I think we'd need to make up something more believable," Yamaguchi nodded, his smile returning. "But for now we need to actually get back, or we won't be telling anyone anything."

  
He padded up to his sleeping best friend, gently shaking his shoulder. "Tsukki, Tsukki wake up. We have to keep moving."  
The blonde giant grumbled, shuffling as he grumbled out of his sleep.

  
Kageyama sighed and looked at the other two of their brigade, and his arm jerked. "Oi, Yamaguchi, did you.. um... notice Hinata and Yachi?"

  
Yamaguchi nodded, looking away, though his ears were a little red. "Yeah. They were like that when I woke up. Can you... um... wake them up?"

  
Right.

  
Waking those two up was not what Kageyama wanted to do. He recalled the dictionary definition on 'adorable' he went over while studying, and decided that this image fit that definition better. They were clinging to each other, like monkeys, legs tangled and faces pressed tightly together.

  
They looked so peaceful, their breathing synchronised, as if nothing else in the world mattered. Just looking at them made Kageyama's heart skip several beats, before he finally managed to get his shit together and give them both a little shake.

  
"Mmm?" Hinata stirred first, raising his perfectly-placed head slightly and half-opened his eyes. He slightly parted his lips to make the tiny noise, and even then he didn't fully wake up. He pulled Yachi closer, who didn't make a sound, just buried her flat face deeper into Hinata's cheek.

  
"You're making a strange face."

  
Kageyama snapped out of the trance he wasn't even aware of entering, and turned to snap at Tsukishima; "You do it then." He backed off and tapped his foot with arms crossed.

  
"...do what...?" Hinata slurred, rubbing his eye and pulled himself gently away from Yachi and sitting up, yawning quietly. Yachi whimpered, shivering when Hinata was gone from her. She grimaced and flinched, eventually slowly opening her eyes.

  
Inside Kageyama felt like a douche, but he told himself sternly that it was for the best. Even if he had just ruined something beautiful. "Get up, both of you. We're going."

  
"Huh?" Yachi asked, also sitting up. "Where we goin'? What's happening? Did someone die!?"

  
"No-one's dying," Tsukishima assured them, watching Yamaguchi kick apart their failed attempt at a campfire. "We just gotta keep moving, and maybe we'll find something. That is if he don't dehydrate and starve before that."

  
"There's a blueberry bush that-a-way," Yamaguchi pointed out helpfully, pointing with his finger in the direction. "And I've done a little looking-around, the trees look a bit looser if we walk a few minutes that way," he turned to point at another direction. "If the trees aren't so clumped together, then we're good, at least travelling-wise." He dipped his head. "But of course we'd have to go back into the trees for shelter if we don't find anything by sunset; then again if this is private property then we're in huge trouble, as well as the fields we saw on our way here, and if the people here pull a gun on someone for breaking the smallest rules, we as good as dead and-"

  
He stopped his rambled when Tsukishima semi-aggressively landed his hand on Yamaguchi's shoulder, enough to make him jump, and sighed heavily. "Don't overcook that brain of yours. You're panicking."

  
All Kageyama could do was stare. Yamaguchi had figured out all of that? How in the world did his brain manage to hold that together? Kageyama had already forgotten around half of it, but he was sure Yamaguchi still had more going about in that brain of his.

  
Tsukishima must've noticed his blank expression, for he added; "The simpletons won't understand you anyway."

  
"What did you just say?"

  
"Nothing, nothing."

  
Kageyama grimaced at him, then swallowed down the guilt that bubbled in his throat when he got a good, long look at the blackened bruises under his eyes. They'd disappear within a week, sure, but how long would his nose take to fully heal? He clicked his tongue, before he jumped at the sound of distant rumbling thunder.

  
No wonder it was dark. Yamaguchi sucked in air through his teeth, looking up at the canopy. "This proves my point; we need to move. It's not safe for us in a forest during a thunderstorm."

  
So they went, single-file with Yamaguchi leading the way, pushing through the plants that clutched onto their clothes and tried to pull them back. The berries had managed to give them something to digest while they walked, but it was barely enough. The wind began to blow, whistling through the trees. The rain started to pour from the sky once more, only partly stopped by the leaves though once more Kageyama found the water soaking through his clothes and through his skin, the chill creeping into his bones.

  
Many hours later, Kageyama couldn't've been more glad to get out of that forest and into the field beyond. It was a small wheat field, ended by a country-looking road and a single building alongside it.

  
The wind was howling now, ruffling their hair and their clothes. Lightning flashed across the sky, making Kageyama realise just how dark the sky had gotten. Just how long had they been in that god-forsaken forest?

  
"We have to get out of the rain!" Tsukishima shouted from somewhere behind him, barely making himself heard over the pelting rain. What he said next was whisked away by the wind, and Kageyama looked back to make sure everyone was alright.

  
They were all soaking wet, hair sticking to their faces and clothes hanging. Yachi's teeth were chattering, and Hinata was desperately trying to get some warmth into himself by rubbing his shoulders. Even Tsukishima had to constantly wipe at his glasses just to see.

  
Yamaguchi shouted something, and Kageyama looked desperately at him. _Do something_ , he begged silently, _please, do something, anything._

  
As if hearing the silent plea, Yamaguchi gestured the building with his head. "Come on! To that building!" He reached out, and took Kageyama's hand. "I won't lose you!" he shouted as an answer before Kageyama could even ask.

  
Kageyama looked back at Hinata, and gave him a determined snarl. He offered his hand to him, and Hinata took it instantly, threading his fingers between his. He in turn took Yachi's hand, who then took Tsukishima by the wrist. The tall blonde refused at first, but Yachi's grip was evidently stronger than he thought.

  
Kageyama personally thought it was another way of saying 'if-I-die-I'm-taking-you-with-me'. He pulled on, lowering his head and closing his eyes in hopes that Yamaguchi could guide them. Of course he could: Kageyama trusted Yamaguchi.

**Author's Note:**

> Yep. That's it. The intro to this massacre. (Why am I like this?)
> 
> Lemme know if you actually like this... and uh... if I should, you know, continue it. I'll try get the next chapter out if that's the case.


End file.
